Alice: Madness Returns

EA can go suck a ♥♥♥♥ and twirl on it, ♥♥♥♥ Electronic Arts.

PEAK.

amo este juego...

“only the insane equate pain with success.”

Alice: Madness Returns is honestly one of those games that I will probably remember for a long time. I started the game knowing a little bit about it and mostly expecting a normal older action/adventure game, but after finishing it I can say that it was way more interesting and darker than I expected. The game follows Alice after the events of the first game. She is still suffering from the trauma of losing her family in a fire and she is trying to understand what actually happened that night. Wonderland is basically connected to Alice's mind and mental state, so as her memories and trauma get worse, Wonderland itself becomes more corrupted and disturbing. I really liked this part of the story because the game doesn't just explain everything directly to you. Sometimes you have to pay attention to the environment, memories and characters to understand what is actually going on. One of my favorite things about this game is definitely the atmosphere and art style. Even today, the game looks really beautiful in my opinion. Of course the graphics are older, but the actual design of the world is amazing. Every chapter feels different and has its own style. You go from dark and destroyed parts of Wonderland to underwater areas, Asian-inspired locations and some really weird places that honestly feel like a fever dream sometimes The contrast between the real world and Wonderland is also something I really liked. London is depressing, dirty and almost completely without color, while Wonderland is full of colors but at the same time extremely disturbing and corrupted. The game does a really good job of showing Alice's mental state through the world around her. Gameplay is also really fun. Combat is pretty simple to understand but I never really found it boring. You have weapons like the Vorpal Blade, Pepper Grinder, Hobby Horse and Teapot Cannon and every weapon feels different. My favorite was probably the Vorpal Blade just because the combat animations with it feel really smooth and satisfying. Dodging around enemies and switching between weapons during fights actually feels really good, especially when there are multiple types of enemies attacking you. The platforming is a huge part of the game and personally I enjoyed it a lot. There is a lot of jumping, floating and using different mechanics to move through the levels. Alice can also shrink herself, which allows you to find hidden paths, memories and other secrets. I spent a lot of time just looking around because the maps are pretty big and there are many hidden areas. Sometimes the platforming can be a little annoying, especially when you miss a jump that you were sure you made, but it wasn't enough to ruin the experience for me. The game is also pretty long. I honestly didn't expect it to take me that much time to finish it. Some chapters are VERY long and maybe a few sections could have been shorter. There were moments where I thought a chapter was about to end and then the game just continued for another hour But at the same time, I can't really complain too much because I enjoyed exploring the world. The soundtrack and sound design also deserve some attention. The music fits the game perfectly and makes some areas feel calm, creepy or just completely uncomfortable. The voice acting is also really good, especially Alice. She actually feels like a character who has been through a lot instead of just being the typical silent game protagonist. The story gets darker the more you play and the ending really made me think about everything that happened before. Without giving spoilers, the game deals with trauma, memories and Alice trying to understand the truth about her past. Some parts are genuinely disturbing, especially when you understand the meaning behind certain characters and locations. Of course the game is not perfect. The camera can be annoying sometimes, some sections feel a little too long and the combat can become repetitive if you play for many hours without taking a break. I also had a few moments where I didn't really understand where the game wanted me to go. But these are small problems compared to how much I enjoyed the full experience. Overall, Alice: Madness Returns was a really good experience for me. I love story games and darker atmospheric games, so this was exactly my type of game. The world is beautiful and disturbing at the same time, the story is interesting and the gameplay is still really enjoyable even though the game is older. I really wish we could get another Alice game one day because this world has so much potential. Alice: Madness Returns is definitely one of those older games that proves graphics are not everything. The atmosphere, art style and story are what made me enjoy it so much. Definitely worth playing, especially if you like dark fantasy, psychological stories and games with a unique atmosphere. 9/10 from me.

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